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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867434">To Firebend a Cup of Tea</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/malcolmn666/pseuds/malcolmn666'>malcolmn666</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based on a Tumblr Post, Gen, what if jet interpreted iroh firebending differently</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:49:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/malcolmn666/pseuds/malcolmn666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jet sees Iroh Firebending--and comes to a slightly different conclusion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iroh &amp; Zuko, Jet &amp; Longshot &amp; Smellerbee, Jet &amp; Zuko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>437</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Firebend a Cup of Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>https://mightyoctopus.tumblr.com/post/631254141742858240/mightyoctopus-okay-but-if-i-was-on-a-ferry-to</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">Jet’s blood ran cold.</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal"><em><span class="tm5">No wonder </span></em>Li was so irritable and prickly—he was likely <em><span class="tm5">terrified, </span></em>being dragged around by that old Firebender. The scar was old, but—</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">Jet watched from a distance. The man was putting on a good show of being old and harmless, but Jet could see it now: the way he held himself, the way we spoke, the way his eyes glinted in the dim station light. Li's scar faced him now, and even at a distance, Jet could still see it was brutal. On the ferry, he’d noted the way the skin had been melted away, the remaining eye glazed over, unable to follow the other closely. But now he thought on it, and how it was so <em><span class="tm5">neat</span></em>, so controlled, so very much the size and shape of a hand, forcing a little boy into a flaming palm—</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">He felt <em><span class="tm5">sick</span></em>. A Firebender, <em><span class="tm5">in Ba Sing Se</span></em>, toting around his victim. Li was a very useful victim—of course anyone that saw him would pity him, and his <em><span class="tm5">good-natured </span></em>uncle.</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“We have to save Li,” Jet hissed to Smellerbee. She looked up at him in confusion, glancing over to where the teenager sulked next to the old man.</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“What?”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“That man—he’s a <em><span class="tm5">Firebender</span></em>,” he explained, his voice low. “He’s keeping Li hostage. I bet—I bet the scar was some sort of punishment, keeping him around—”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“That’s <em><span class="tm5">insane</span></em>, Jet,” Smellerbee cut him off, but her eyes flickered back over to the pair. “I...Are you sure?”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">Jet smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Dead certain. He heated his tea just by holding it.”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">Smellerbee hummed in thought. Longshot was now taking a look just under the brim of his hat before he nodded once. “If we’re going to save Li, we can’t just barge in. I’ve heard about this, where the kidnapping victims are afraid to leave, even if they can. It might be a struggle to convince Li, more than getting him away from...what did he say his name was, Mushi?”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“Mushi, yeah.”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“He did seem pretty miserable, though. More so than everyone else, I guess,” Smellerbee thought aloud. “I guess...well, <em><span class="tm5">wait</span></em>, Jet, we need to confirm this.”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“What’s the alternative?” he snapped, a bit louder than he had intended. No one around them seemed to notice. Smellerbee sighed.</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“<em><span class="tm5">Well</span></em>...even if the old guy is a Firebender, he could be actually looking out for Li. I mean, maybe they just have Fire Nation ancestry, and they’re fleeing the Colonies?”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">Jet snorted. “If they’re Fire Nation, why does Li have that scar, then? It’s like—I saw it up close—it was definitely <em><span class="tm5">intentional</span></em>, like a Firebender put their hand up to his face. Look at it!”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">Longshot gave him a hard look before he looked down to Smellerbee. They exchanged a glance that Jet wouldn’t pretend to understand. “We’re here to make a new start, Jet. I’m worried, too, but we have to make sure we know <em><span class="tm5">everything </span></em>before we potentially ruin Li’s life.”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">He scowled. “We won’t be ruining it—”</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“We don’t know that,” Smellerbee said over him, though her voice had softened. Longshot nodded once, his frown tense.</p><p class="Normal"> </p><p class="Normal">“Whatever. I’ll get proof,” Jet said. “And <em><span class="tm5">then</span></em>, we’re gonna help out our friend.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not sure if I will add more to this but ya know at least here's where canon changes lol</p></blockquote></div></div>
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